Time
by Quiet Chaos
Summary: The final war with the Nether Realm is about to begin, and to win, the Ronin Warriors must team up with the former Warlords to solve the mysteries of their armors' origins. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

Time

By Quiet Chaos

Chapter One

A/N: Look! I'm back! I'm so sorry to the people who were attached to the first version of this story, "Into the Beginning of the End," but I had to take a break from it. After dragging myself out from under a pile of college-sized homework mounds, I revisited the story and was appalled at what I had written. So, here is the revised version. I hope it's better than before.

Last time the italics didn't work, but I'm trying them again anyway. Italics, and/or words inside single quotation marks are thoughts.

Disclaimer: Everyone does these, and everyone knows that we poor fans can only dream about owning the Ronin Warriors. Sweet dreams all!

The house lay mere minutes away from the bustle of the city, but it felt like another world. The mountain and lake cradled it in the soft night, and if it weren't for the empty trees, they would have smothered it.

She sat on the guardrail of the lone road that overlooked the secret house. '_More like a mansion_,' she thought. The scent of fall drifted through the night, its stench tainting the relaxing warmth of the summer's late hours. She breathed it deeply and pulled back the few strands of hair that it had misplaced.

'_Such a quiet night. If I could feel sorrow, then I'm sure I'd be sorry to be breaking it_.' She dropped her gaze at this thought. Perhaps she could feel a little pity, if only for herself. She quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts; then she lifted a folder into the moonlight where tiger-blue eyes and shaggy black hair gleamed back at her from behind the gloss of a photo. Mixed in with the top photograph were a few other images, informational sheets, and blue prints. She skimmed it all one last time before setting it ablaze with a match.

Another breeze arose to carry away the ashes of evidence. She took one last free breath before tying a silver mask over her face, and then she set off into the woods.

It was eerily silent around the Koji mansion, like the calm before a storm. But its residents ignored the smell of change in the predawn hours. Locked in deep slumber, no one could sense what lurked in the night.

Nothing stirred as she swept by, getting steadily and silently closer to the house. She moved like a wisp of smoke on a night breeze: graceful, invisible, but present to any who cared to smell.

Noiselessly picking the locked front door, she entered the house. She paused, getting her bearings and sensing where the manor's seven occupants slept unaware. Then she moved on, ascending the stairs leading to the vulnerable bedrooms.

The first room she passed held the snoozing Mia Koji. Her informants knew that this woman was the owner of the home and worked at the local university research center. Her specialty dealt with ancient armor.

The next room had Sage Date and Rowen Hashiba. '_Son of a dojo master and the school's top science student.'_ The one after that contained Cye Mouri and Kento Lei Fan, whose roaring snores would've concealed any sounds the intruder might have made. '_Ocean-lover and food-lover.'_ The last door was the one she sought.

She quietly watched her quarry. His black hair was matted and tangled on the pillow; his body lay twisted in sweat-soaked covers. Only his dream-wandering eyes and rhythmic gasps for breath moved in the still night.

Her sword hissed against its sheathe like a snake before the strike. But Ryo did not awaken to its hum of death. He was lost in a dream, oblivious to the danger hovering over him. The noise instead set off a most unexpected alarm.

A blur of white and black and a howl of rage sent her staggering a few steps back. A tiger was now perched atop the bed, protectively standing above the now awake, but decidedly disgruntled, Ryo.

"White Blaze, get off!" He pushed the tiger down, but even from the floor, the big cat kept itself firmly planted between his charge and the intruder.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Ryo pulled free from the tangle of bead sheets and now gripped his armor orb tightly, ready to summon it in an instant. He was so focused on his opponent that he didn't notice the orb was glowing.

The attacker just continued to stand and stare at him from behind her mask. In the faint moonlight Ryo recognized the traditional uniform of a ninja; black robe top tied at the waist with a sash, sleeves and pant legs were bunched at the joints by forearm and shin guards.

'_This is a human assassin?'_ It didn't make sense, but the black blade of her sword was a trademark of a traditional murderer. Everything about her attire pointed towards tradition, everything but her mask. It was silver, polished to a high mirror shine. Ryo could see his reflection in that empty death mask.

The standoff ended the instant White Blaze pounced. She nimbly flipped over him and charged Ryo. There was a flash of light and his subarmor enveloped him just as her blade seared through the air on a course for his chest.

The force of the blow threw him across the room and into the opposing wall. He groaned as he felt a bump forming on the back of his head and stars swam before his eyes. As soon as his vision cleared, he took a quick glance at his chest. A large slash now scarred his breastplate.

Furious, White Blaze charged again, snarling and roaring as his claws collided with her arm guard, but his momentum and weight proved too much, and both assassin and beast went crashing through the window.

Gathering his wits, Ryo hurried after them. On the balcony he saw White Blaze laying unconscious on the lawn below while the assassin clung to the edge.

As soon as she saw him, she hoisted herself up and attacked once more. Ryo found himself pushed to the balcony's edge by her ceaseless slashes and kicks. '_I need more room_.' Ryo jumped over the ledge, narrowly avoiding another blow aimed at his neck. There was no hesitation as the assassin followed Ryo down the twenty-foot drop.

On the ground, White Blaze had recovered from the fall and now stood by Ryo, ready for the next round.

Sage had woken to White Blaze's first roar, but had passed it off as unimportant. Falling back to into sleep, he dreamily remembered the time that Ryo had fallen on the sleeping tiger, evoking a roar that shook the house and made everyone run to see where the Dynasty soldier was, only to stumble upon the most awkward and cutest scenes in the history of the Koji mansion. Ryo and White Blaze were tangled together in bed sheets; the big cat's paws were pressed against the disoriented boy's face as the tiger struggled to get free. '_A missed Kodak moment,' _Sage sleepily thought.

Suddenly he was jolted awake. It wasn't just White Blaze's second roar that'd ripped him away from sleep, but also the wave of fire, pain, and sounds of shattering glass that drove him into a frenzy to wake his roommate.

"Rowen, get up!"

"'s not time…go away..." came the mumbled response.

"Get up!" He ripped the blankets off the blue-haired boy, who, now fully awake from the rush of cold, glared at him. "Didn't you hear White Blaze? Something's not right."

"Fine," Rowen spat. "We'll check. But if it's nothing, I get to dye your hair flamingo pink." At this Strata got his blankets thrown into his face.

"We'll see." Sage was already knocking on Ryo's door by the time Rowen had stumbled out of the room. "He's not answering."

"'Cause he's probably still asleep. If you're so worried, just open the door."

There was a tense silence as the two friends glared at one another before entering the room. "Ryo? Sorry if we woke…"

"Rowen, the window!" Sage cut him off. Halo's eyes could already see the broken glass, disheveled bed, and dented wall. They ran through the shattered window, hoping to find their leader still in one piece.

"What?" The two Ronins were now audience to a deadly dance beneath the balcony. Ryo, White Blaze, and the assassin were weaving in and out and between one another, dodging, thrusting, slashing, kicking, and punching. It was almost mesmerizing, the way that each warrior moved to counter the other, but the two spectators didn't stay for long.

"Sage, let's go! We gotta help him!"

The three fighters broke off from one another at the same moment. The last round had drained them all, and the aches of cuts and bruises were beginning to show in their sluggish movements. White Blaze bled from scratches on his nose and shoulder, and he favored his back leg where the assassin had managed to land a hard kick.

Expert warrior or not, she too was wounded, though none of the scars were visible. Ryo had managed to bruise her ribs and arm, though he had been aiming for the vitals, but she had twisted just in time to receive less severe wounds. White Blaze had torn through some of her clothing, only to reveal heavy armor guards.

Ryo's wounds ached. He bled from a cut on his cheek, and several dents and long slashes decorated his subarmor. He panted heavily and squinted in the dark. His vision was clouding over, again, and he rapidly blinked to clear it. Several times during the fight he knew he had momentarily blacked out, and it was during those times that he had been hit hardest, but they were also the times he had managed to return the attack, but he couldn't fully recall those moments.

His breathing had steadied. How long had they just been standing there? In the night silence, he heard the assassin take a deep, shuddering breath before posing for another strike, but before she had the chance to charge, the house lights ripped through the dark. Voices and heavy footsteps followed, and White Blaze let out a welcoming roar to his allies as each appeared in their subarmors. Relieved, Ryo momentarily dropped his guard. '_Mistake_,' he realized too late.

The assassin plunged her blade into the ground and swung before any exchange of words could be made. Dirt, gravel, and wind smothered the field and seared the vision of every unprotected eye, and in the momentary chaos and shouts of the Ronins, she charged Ryo. Her blade rang hard against his armor, hurling him into the dirt and swamping his already impaired vision with more stars and darkness, and drove all breath from his aching body.

The instant his vision had cleared, Kento witnessed the assassin strike Ryo down. He leaped up and threw himself at her. Without thinking, she grabbed hold of his outstretched arm and, using his momentum against him, threw him into a tree. Sage and Cye circled around her before charging from opposite sides, while Rowen flipped over the fight to Ryo's side.

"Ryo, you all right?" Strata pulled him into a sitting position and was about to speak again when Ryo groaned and opened his eyes.

"Do I look all right to you?" Ryo snapped and pushed Rowen off of him as he stood.

Rowen stared at Ryo from the ground. "What'd you do that for? I was only worried about you!" But Ryo wasn't listening; he was staring at the fight between Sage, Cye, and the assassin.

"Ryo…" But Rowen was cut off as the Wildfire armor erupted into existence. With an inarticulate scream Ryo charged the three fighters.

Cye, distracted by the yell, had paused mid-punch to see what was going on, and the assassin rammed her shoulder into his nose, sending him reeling back. Kento, having recovered, caught Cye before he fell.

Sage stepped away. Something wasn't right. White Blaze was backing away, whining and growling at the same time. Out of range from the assassin's blade, Sage watched, horrified as Ryo slammed his katanas down on her sword.

"Ryo, stop!" Rowen was running after Ryo. Already the assassin's sword was smoldering from Wildfire's intense heat, and she had dropped to one knee. "She's not wearing any armor!" Rowen grabbed hold of the red shoulder guard, only to shout in surprise and fall back, clutching his armored hand. Sage ran to him.

"Rowen, what the hell's going on?" Sage grabbed the blue plated gauntlet and stared at the smoking metal.

"I don't know. I just touched his armor and got burned." Cye and Kento were also watching, confused as to whom to help.

Cye finally yelled. "Ryo, stop it! You'll kill her!"

The black blade snapped, and Ryo's swords advanced, but the assassin had shifted her weight. She let Ryo's pressure push her under his legs; from there she slammed a kick into his back, which also served to propel her away from him.

She hit the ground and rolled herself back into a sprint for the woods. Kento jumped to block her way, his arms spread and a sinister smile twisting his face. "You're not getting away!" He reached out to grab her, only to find air. As she descended from her dodging jump, she rammed a foot onto Kento's shoulder; using him like a springboard, she launched herself into the woods while shoving him into the dirt.

Cye reached Kento in time to hear several dirt-muffled obscenities and helped him up. "I'm gonna kill that…" A blur of red flashed by the two warriors, cutting off Kento's empty threat.

"Ryo?" Cye stared into the black forest where the assassin and his leader had just vanished. Sage and Rowen came over. "Sage, Rowen, what's going on?"

"All I know," Sage also glanced into the woods, "is that that girl is -er, was attacking Ryo, and that he needed some help."

"We know that!" Kento rubbed the rest of the dirt off of his face. "That's what you told us when you busted into our room!"

"But what about Ryo?"

"Cye, calm down. There's no need to get too worried." Rowen flexed his hand experimentally. It no longer hurt, thanks to Sage. "No one knows what's going on exactly. For now, we have to catch up with them to make sure neither kills the other."

White Blaze took the moment to roar. It wasn't the battle cry they were used to hearing, more like a woeful lament for the lost leader. When the howl ended, the four warriors shuddered, feeling the last echoes ring through their bodies. Then the big cat laid down, a defeated and saddened expression haunting the striped face.

Sage took a deep breath. Determined to find out what was going on, he looked everyone in the eyes. "All right. Rowen?" The archer stepped up. "Take to the air and get to Ryo as fast as you can. The rest of us will follow on foot."

Cherry blossoms showered the area in a swirl of mystical energy, which was soon replaced by four fully armored warriors. They split off and made for the woods, intent on finding their fifth companion and the assassin who started it all.

A lone mournful howl echoed in the night as the search began.

A/N: I think I'll end it there. Please review! I'm working as fast as I can on revising the next few chapters. I truly wish to finish this story, and hope for the support of those who read the first version. Thanks, and hope to see you in the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Time

By Quiet Chaos

Chapter Two

A/N: Yay! It's the revised chapter two! Same rules apply as stated in Chapter One. Without further ado, I give you the continuation!

Mia pulled her robe tighter around her body as she stepped into the thinning night, her slippers slapping against the cold hard ground. She stood beside the Siberian on the edge of the mansion's pools of light and shivered against the wind that rattled the naked trees.

White Blaze turned his head at the sound of her sigh; he returned the unspoken concern with a soft growl. Mia looked into his deep brown, intelligent eyes and stroked the soft silken fur.

"They'll be all right."

He turned away to the quiet forest, standing slowly; he looked to the ground, contemplating what to do. It was then that Mia noticed the tiger's wounds and gasped. "You'd better not go after them." After giving the big cat a meaningful look, she started back to the house. "Come on, White Blaze. Ryo will be mad if he comes home to find you still injured," she called over her shoulder.

White Blaze gave the forest one last look before following her. Mia was right. His cub was only dealing with another human. Ryo wouldn't lose to a mortal.

xxxxx

She was running; for how long, she didn't know, but she did know that she wasn't going fast enough. Already the snapping of twigs and clanking armor rang clearly in the night behind her.

The pain in her side was growing worse; her ribs were broken and weren't going to be ignored much longer. She skidded and leaned heavily on the closest tree as she massaged the fractured bones. Running hurt, breathing hurt, but the pain of the night's failure was beyond measure.

She ripped off her mask; it was inhibiting her breathing. Panting a little easier, she looked at her reflection momentarily before tossing the useless metal away.

She closed her eyes. Exhaustion gnawed at her with whispers of the pleasures of falling away from the pain of consciousness. But it wasn't the time for that. Her eyes snapped open as footsteps approached, breaking her last moments of rest.

The air shifted, and she shoved herself off the tree right before a blade split through the trunk. She rolled to eject her extra momentum and as soon as she faced her pursuer, threw her broken sword straight for his head. But Ryo knocked it away with the wave of a katana.

She stared at his expressionless face; a smiling silver mask now framed his glazed, empty eyes, and she backed away as he slowly advanced. He brought the ends of his katana hilts together, locking them into a bladed staff; almost instantly the energy in the area escalated to the point that the air was liquefying around them and the dried leaves were smoking and crumpling into black soot.

"No! Stop!"

A bolt of electric gold pierced the air, knocking the blades from the red gauntleted hands and breaking the hilts' lock on each other. The separated katana landed a few feet from her, and the assassin let out the breath she'd been holding as the heat subsided. She glanced up towards the golden arrow's origin to see a midnight blue armor descending in a bubble of energy.

Rowen's gaze shifted warily between the two figures. Ryo was just standing in the clearing, his eyes covered by his helmet. The assassin knelt on the ground, clearly in pain but defiantly glaring at him through thick locks of ebony hair.

"Don't move," he bluntly said, cocking an arrow for emphasis. He carefully approached Ryo first. "Ryo? Are you in there?" He took another step. Too close.

"Look out!"

Rowen barely registered the assassin's warning as Ryo spun and reached out, grabbing the bow and dragging both weapon and warrior. Pressed to his knees, Rowen could only stare, open mouthed at the dull, sneering eyes of his captor.

That wasn't Ryo. Ryo's eyes weren't empty pools of stone blue. At least, they weren't supposed to be. He screamed as his wrist was twisted, and the bow wrenched from his grasp. Adding to the agony of the ruined limb was the Wildfire armor ripping away all of his energy.

The armor of Strata wasn't listening to him. With every second that passed vast amounts of power tore away in clumps, leaving only his shredded consciousness naked in his mind. He screamed through the armors' link.

xxxxx

Cye stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening right before he cried out in surprise. He threw his hands over his ears as Rowen's screams suddenly reverberated through his head. With them came a flood of pain and shock that threatened to drown the water warrior's mind.

Sage and Kento were instantly beside him, their faces crinkled in agony as their links were also overrun. Grabbing his companions' shoulders, Sage pushed his way into their bond, throwing up mental shields all the way.

On the blank field of the mind the three warriors, each glowing his respective color, converged. "Cye? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine now. Thank you, Sage." He rubbed his ears. "Rowen just caught me off guard is all."

"I see him." Kento jogged along the dark blue line that connected each of them to the Strata armor. "Hey, Rowen! What's all the yelling for? We couldn't understand a thing you said-" he stopped just short of Rowen's image. His grey-blue eyes widened as he took in the ravaged sight of the boy before him. Rowen's midnight blue glow was as dull as a rain cloud, and the outline of the figure was like ephemeral fog but tainted with unnatural splotches of black shadows.

"Rowen!" Kento grabbed the slighter boy and pushed his orange energy into transparent body. "Hang on, pal. I'll get you back up on your feet."

Midnight blue eyes fluttered weakly, half opening, then widening with shock as the slighter boy oriented himself.

Smiling with relief, Kento started to push more energy in, but Rowen roughly shoved him off. But without Kento's strong arms and energy, he fell to his knees.

"What the hell are you doing?" He raised an orange fist threateningly while glowering incredulously at his fading companion. "I'm just trying to help!" Suddenly noticing the horrified look on Rowen's face, Kento dropped his fist.

"I know you are, Kento. And sorry for the outburst, but…" Rowen wrapped his arms protectively around his body and curled into a blurred blue ball. "But…" He trailed off and stared into the empty field.

Sage knelt beside him. Cye and Kento watched silently. "Rowen…"

The sound of his name seemed to trigger his fogged mind into finishing his warning. "He'll drain you too."

Grabbing the dark blue shoulders, Sage gently shook him. "Stay with us, Rowen. You need to tell us what's going on." But Rowen didn't answer, or couldn't. His form was becoming more transparent and indistinct as he was falling into unconsciousness.

Cye also knelt beside Rowen. "Sage, what's wrong with him?"

Cursing, Sage pushed some of his essence into Rowen, ignoring Cye's question and the weak protests of Strata. "Relax, Rowen. I'm just trying to see what you see. I'll be careful, but right now, you must open your eyes."

It took every inch of willpower he could must to carry out Sage's request. His eyelids felt like a leaden black curtain that needed too much energy to push and dragged too slowly for all that effort. But finally his eyes did open only to reveal the same dark red figure looming above.

"Ryo?" Stunned, Sage nearly lost concentration, but Rowen steadied him while masking the presence of Halo's power.

Distantly Cye and Kento were whispering.

"Did he say, 'Ryo'?"

"Shut up. He needs to concentrate."

"But what about Ryo? I don't even see him around here."

"He should be over there, but there's nothing except red fog. I don't feel any part of him in there."

"What the hell's going on?"

Sage quietly hissed at them, stopping their distracting talk. As long as they were all so closely connected in the link, they were in danger of revealing their presences. Together, Halo and Strata forced Rowen's eyes to watch what would unfurl next.

Ryo had dropped the blue-clad body like an emptied sack; his glazed eyes were now on the assassin who stiffened under them. He raised the golden bow. Pulling back on the string, a flaming arrow shimmered into life between his silver fingers.

"Ryo! Stop!" Sage screamed with Rowen, but to no avail. It was taking all their energy just to keep the blue eyes open and focused.

The arrow sprang loose, charging towards the assassin. It missed as she threw herself to the dirt and out of Rowen's view. Another arrow sparked into life and took flight. Another followed. And another. Flocks of arrows were searing through the air at the unseen target.

Reluctantly, Sage pulled away from Rowen. "You'll be all right?"

The blue figure nodded before dropping away from the bond and into unconsciousness. Kento and Cye looked expectantly at Sage. "Well? Any luck?"

"Rowen will be all right. It's Ryo that I'm worried about." He quickly herded them out of the mind field. "We have to get to them now. I'll explain as we run."

Before they could even resume their sprint, a sudden spark of light in the distance drove Sage to knock Kento to the ground, yelling, "Watch it!" as they fell.

Grunting, Kento looked up from where he lay in the dirt to see a flaming arrow hiss through the spot he'd just been forcefully vacated from. "What…"

Sage got off of him. "I'm sorry about that."

"What the hell!" Kento exasperated, jumping up. "I'm going to pound Rowen for shooting those things off like a madman!"

"It's not Rowen," Sage said. He started to run towards the arrow's origin, but now his no-dachi was held protectively in front of him. Cye caught up to him first.

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"When I was looking through Rowen's eyes, I saw that Ryo had drained the armor of Strata." He paused, sidestepping another arrow. "Ryo's the one shooting off these arrows with Rowen's bow."

"No way!" Kento whacked the next arrow with his tetsubo. "How could he? Why would he do something like that?"

"I don't think it is Ryo. I think we're dealing with the Wildfire armor!" Sage was yelling now, hoping Cye and Kento could hear him over the hissing and crackling flames. '_It could even be the Inferno that we're dealing with,_' he warily thought to himself.

More arrows were raining down on them now, and they couldn't run anymore. It was hard enough to just defend, let alone advance. It was like pushing against a living wall of fire.

"We're almost there!" someone yelled.

The onslaught of fire suddenly subsided, and the warriors took the opportunity to breathe the empty air and orient themselves. All around them trees were broken, burned, pierced, and shattered; a few were on fire. '_I wonder if that assassin is still alive._' They pushed on with even more determination.

The trees abruptly gave way, and the three warriors stood on the edge of the clearing, frozen in place as they took in the sight. The assassin was using the pair of Wildfire katana to deflect the stream of arrows flying at her. More parts of her clothes were shredded from arrows that had made it too close; two were solidified and lodged in her shoulder and leg, and the twin katana trembled in her tired hands as she sloppily, but effectively, knocked the shafts of fire away.

Ryo stood in a cloud of burning arrows; Rowen's form lay dull and motionless at his feet. The one arrow cocked on the bow was multiplying around them, filling the air with sparkling flames and burning heat. As soon as Ryo released the arrow between his fingers, the rest followed: a golden cloud of death.

The assassin's knees gave out as the energy plowed towards her. There was no way to dodge or block now.

Cye didn't hesitate as he jumped in front of her, and threw his yari into the storm. "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"

Gold and blue energies collided, boiling and roaring. The power momentarily blazed; then faded, hissing as it dissolved away, cheated of its prey, cancelled out.

Cye sighed with relief. If he'd been any slower, she would have been incinerated. He glanced over his shoulder to the girl at his feet. Her breathing was heavy, sweat and blood ran freely along her exposed skin, and she leaned heavily on the swords for support.

"Stay behind me, okay?" Sea-green eyes met with a mismatched pair of clear blue and gold. The intensity behind the uneven gaze momentarily took him aback, but then it fell as the girl's youthful face turned away. This was no time to stare. He looked back to Ryo and watched as Kento charged the red armor.

Hardrock slammed his tetsubo down on the bow, knocking it from Ryo's grasp. From there, he grabbed hold of the red shoulder guards and roughly shook the smaller boy. "Ryo, Snap out of it! It's us! Your friends!"

The red helmet swung up to stare at the orange-clad offender. Kento opened his mouth to speak again only to have it clasped shut by Ryo's hand. Before he knew it, Ryo had single-handedly lifted him off the ground and was now tugging at the power of Hardrock. All energy was suddenly tearing away from him, ignoring his protests and eagerly answering the call of Wildfire. He let out a strangled yell and started to kick and thrash like a fish caught on a hook. It was to no avail. Ryo's grip did not loosen.

His limbs were growing cold, numbing with every passing second as all traces of energy were stolen away. As his armor grew heavier and duller, it became horrifyingly clear to the stubborn warrior of justice that his efforts were futile. The world was spinning now, fading from focus. His power was slipping so easily away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Let him go!" A flash of green filled his blurred vision just before Kento felt his body drop to the ground like a broken toy. He was barely aware of Sage dragging him up to a kneeling position. "Kento! Take off your armor!"

The order was the only clear sound in his exhausted mind, and he followed it without second thought. As soon as the armor was dispelled, he blinked, feeling his mind clear and the energy drain fade, but now he sat on the ground in little more than his sleeping clothes. Sage smiled from above him and gave a quick nod. Kento quickly got out of the way.

Sage gave the red armor as wide a berth as he could as he made his way to Rowen. He knelt beside the prone body, never taking his eyes off of Wildfire. Focusing on the link between Strata and Halo, he commanded the blue armor to dispel. It fell away quickly, leaving Rowen in his boxers and a thin tank top.

Gently, Sage began to lift the thinner boy. But it was a bad move. His kindness quickly became a double-edged blade as Wildfire, irritated by the loss of Hardrock and Strata's power sources, locked his cold, angry eyes on the defenseless warriors and charged.

Cye ran to intercept as Sage, determined to protect Rowen, leapt out of the way. Torrent swung his yari with the blunt side down, like a giant flyswatter. But Wildfire easily blocked it. Holding that same arm against the staff, he pushed forward towards Cye.

Forced to retreat, Torrent leapt back, trying to keep as far away as possible from Ryo's advance while countering with another thrust. There was no choice; he had to use the blades. Shifting his weight, he drove the spear towards the red stomach plate. But at the last second Ryo twisted around the staff and grabbed the light blue armor.

There was no hesitation as the red-clad figure hurled the slighter boy across the clearing and into a tree. The narrow armored body crumpled on the splintered trunk only a few feet from where Kento, Rowen, and Sage were.

Wild blue eyes turned on the three figures, focusing on the one still armored, the one in green, and dared him to approach. Rowen was still unconscious and only stood with Kento's support. Sage knelt by Cye, who was beginning to show signs of consciousness. None of them dared to move. Like deer under headlights, they stiffened as Ryo advanced.

"What do we do now?" Kento shifted under Rowen's weight.

Groaning, Cye shook his head. "I think we might have to make a run for it."

"No way! We can't just leave Ryo like this!" He looked desperately between Halo and Torrent, hoping for an answer to appear on their defeated expressions.

"I don't want to leave like this either," Sage stood, stepping slowly back, pulling Cye with him. "But right now we can't w-." He didn't have the chance to finish, as a shadowed blur leapt into the air behind Wildfire. They had forgotten about the assassin, who was on the attack again.

It was like watching a slow motion train wreck, as the girl, using her jump's momentum, plunged Wildfire's own katana through the vulnerable red shoulder joint.

The force behind the blow merely spun Ryo around to face the girl still in midair. Not even noticing the blade protruding from his shoulder, he moved to retaliate while the assassin swung the second katana at the helmet. The blows struck at the same time: a blade to the head, a punch to already broken ribs.

An inhuman howl of pain reverberated in the air as the red helmet flew off, crashing to the ground several feet away.

The girl gasped as she slammed into the ground. Tears welled up in her eyes as the full force of all her wounds trampled her. Ryo had struck her fractured ribs, shattering them, and sending a piece into her lung, piercing and deflating it, driving out all breath. The arrows had been ripped out by the rush of the ground, widening the punctures for more blood to escape through. Still, she struggled to sit up. She had to know. She had to see if it was over. She knew that behind her, he still stood. But everything in her protested any movement. She rolled over to take the weight off of her broken body, and then lay still. She didn't move after that.

Ryo staggered a few steps before opening his eyes to find Sage's violet eye watching his every move. "S-Sage…" he croaked out as the armor of Wildfire and its weapons dissolved away. He felt his knees weaken as a wave of vertigo darkened his vision.

Sage rushed in, catching Ryo's unconscious form before it hit the ground. He breathed a small sigh of relief. It was over. The nightmare was done with for now. It was dawn.

A/N: No, that's not the end of the story, just the chapter. A big thanks to my reviewers!

Soiel- Thank you for reading and encouraging me to keep writing. I hope you continue to read and review, and I hope that "Time" will fulfill the potential you believe it has.

MorganRay- Thanks for checking out this revised version and for the compliment. I did debate for a while whether or not I should just post the revisions in the old story. But in the end, as you can see, I decided to make a whole new story because I wanted to give the old readers a chance to review the revisions. Plus, things aren't lining up like before, so I would've had to take down the later chapters anyway.

TeahLeafs- Thanks so much for the boost of confidence, though I'm a little nervous about your expectations now. I apologize to you for this chapter. I had told you that I'd reveal more about the girl, but I ran out of time. I swear she has a name! She really does! You'll find that out and more about her in chapter three!

Just so everyone knows, I intend on updating this story on the 11th and 26th of every month. If you don't see an update on those dates, check back the next day. As you can tell with this chapter, I barely made the deadline. Please continue to read and review. Constructive criticism welcomed and requested!

Reposted 10/12/05 with x's added for scene separation (apparently doesn't like the tilde mark or asterisks. Huh. Oh well.


	3. Chapter 3

Time

By Quiet Chaos

Chapter Three

A/N: Oh, don't you hate it when deadlines sneak up on you? One minute it's ten days to the due date, and then before you realize it, it's now. Well, on with the story; same rules and disclaimers apply.

"You lose," droned the flashing television screen. A slew of indistinct curses followed as Kento let the video game controller slide out of his hands. He stretched his aching back, moaning as the bones popped and the pressure on the large bruise marring his backbone subsided. With a grunt of frustration, he let gravity pull him onto the soft living room carpet; from there he stared moodily at the ceiling.

"You're losing your touch."

He rolled over to find Rowen smirking down at him from where he lay on the couch across the room.

"That's the seventh round in a row that you've lost." Still grinning, he shifted under Hardrock's glare, propping his blue head up onto the cushioned armrest.

"I thought you were asleep." Kento rolled onto his stomach and laid his chin on top of his folded arms. "You've been out all day."

"I was, until you lost the second round. I got tired of dreaming that I was being knocked around in some digitized arena." Rowen cocked an eyebrow as Kento dropped his gaze. "You all right, buddy? It's not like you to be so glum."

"I guess I'm sore." He shrugged, turning his head away from the inquisitive dark blue eyes. "And I don't mean just my back."

"What? You mean your pride's hurt?" He couldn't help but grin as Kento jerked up into a sitting position and made a pouting face.

"Well yeah! We're the Ronin Warriors!" Flailing his arms around for emphasis, he ranted, "We're the guys that saved the earth, like, ten trillion times, and yet we get all five of our butts handed to us on a silver platter by some girl!"

"I see your point," Rowen snickered as the warrior of justice slouched with his arms folded and an exasperated look on his face. He continued to grin at his friend's antics when a thought struck him. "Hey, care to fill me in on what happened after I passed out?"

"Well, it took us a while to get to you 'cause Ryo was shooting off a ton of arrows with your bow, but when we did get there…"

Closing his eyes, Rowen listened carefully as Kento rattled off the morning's ordeal.

Five minutes later…

"…Luckily the sun had just come up so Sage got a bit of a power boost. He healed up Ryo's shoulder and other big wounds, but he said he didn't want to do anything about the bruises, and then he went and healed most of the girl's injuries. That left him kind of tired, so we decided to take everyone home."

Midnight blue eyes snapped open, and Rowen struggled to sit up. "Everyone? You mean…" Kento was nodding even before he finished the question, "…that girl's here too?"

"Yeah, well, we couldn't just leave her. Plus Sage said she shouldn't be too much of a threat for now 'cause she lost a lot of blood. But, yeah, she's in the guest room. Mia and Cye are keeping an eye on her."

"And Sage?"

"Cye pretty much ordered him into bed, but he didn't want to leave Ryo alone, so both of them are in your room."

"So that's why I'm on the couch." Leaning back into the sofa's cushions, Rowen sighed. "And I take it you're babysitting me?"

"Yeah, but I'm not getting paid enough to take care of such a big baby!" Kento laughed and rolled around on the floor.

"Kento, if I weren't so tired right now, I'd rattle the rocks in your head." Though annoyed, he still smiled as he watched Kento writhe on the floor from laughing so much. "But at least you're not sulking anymore."

Kento wiped a tear from his eye. "Yeah. But you know, you totally set yourself up for that one!"

"Oh shut up already!"

xxxxx

Cye smiled as he listened to Rowen and Kento's bickering turn into laughter. '_Sounds like they're feeling better_.' Shaking the auburn locks from his eyes, he glanced down the hall to Sage and Rowen's shared room. Though the door was open, no sounds or movements were made, as the occupants were sound asleep.

From there sea-green eyes meandered to the closed door beside him. Behind it, Mia was addressing the assassin's more minor injuries.

He took a deep breath and massaged the bridge of his nose. It wasn't broken, but it was still sore from when the girl had rammed her shoulder into his face. "Amazing," he sighed. '_One human girl, no older than any of us, was able to do so much damage_.' He leaned against the wall, lost in his thoughts.

Mia's voice drifted through the door a moment later. "Cye? I'm done."

"Right. I'm coming in." He opened the door and walked in. The guest room faced west, and the evening sun filtered through the windows, casting scarlet shadows along the carpet and walls. Mia sat beside the queen-sized bed; the nearly empty first aid kit lay on the floor next to the assassin's clothing and recovered gear. He pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed. The girl looked so small, pale, and fragile beneath the layers of blankets. "Will she be all right?"

"She should be fine. Sage healed the life-threatening injuries, so all that was left were the bruises and cuts." Mia rubbed her temples. "Still, I'll have to buy some more bandages and first aid supplies. And some more aspirin…"

"Mia." She looked up to see Cye giving her an encouraging, but gentle smile. "Those things can wait. You should rest now because you're just as tired as we are."

She returned the smile. "Thank you, Cye. I'll do that." She stretched as she stood. "Will you be all right?"

He nodded and sat a little straighter. "Don't worry about me. Just take care of yourself right now."

"Okay. I'll come back to check on you in an hour or so."

As soon as she left, Cye closed his eyes and slumped in the chair. The last thing they needed was for everyone in the house to overexert themselves. Groaning, he let his head roll along his shoulders, feeling relief as each bone cracked. He opened his eyes and stared out the window at the rapidly receding sun.

"Cye..."

Torrent nearly jumped out of his skin as the rasped whisper reverberated through the otherwise silent room. He stared at the girl. She was awake and was watching him through locks of ebony and heavy eyelids. "Oh. Uh, yes?"

"May I have some water?" Her voice croaked harshly, and he could feel her straining to annunciate each word.

"Yes, just a second." He hurried into the adjacent bathroom and brought back a tall glass of water. He gently eased her into a sitting position before handing off the drink. She quickly drained it. Still stunned, Cye dropped into his chair and stared.

With the glass emptied, she leaned heavily on the pillows. Looking him in the eye she sighed. "Was it really so fascinating to watch me drink?"

He dropped his gaze instantly. "Sorry, it's just, well, you're awake already. And how do you know my name?"

She turned away from him and fidgeted with the glass. "Detailed information is a necessity in my profession."

"Your profession…" he echoed. "You're an assassin. Why did you attack my friend? Or maybe the better question is, who hired you?"

Heavy silence answered him as the girl simply avoided his eyes and stared out the window instead. The sun had nearly set; the golden orb was blocked by the tree-robed mountain so only the crimson twilight fringes feathered the violet sky.

Cye released the breath he'd been holding. She wasn't going to answer; she probably couldn't because of some oath of confidentiality or tradition. Defeated, he slouched in the chair, but then he perked up again as a new question came to mind.

"Will you at least tell me your name? I feel awkward that you know mine, but I don't know yours."

For a moment he saw her shoulders tense, but it passed quickly. For what seemed like an eternity she made no other move. He sighed again, feeling helpless, he let his head fall.

"Kurari."

"What?"

"My name…" she slowly turned and caught his sea-green eyes with hers, which, in the rapidly encroaching darkness, appeared like glowing orbs of azure and gold, "…is Kurari."

A/N: Waaaaaaaah! Apologies! Apologies! This week in college was crazy, so this was unfortunately left to the very last minute. Sooooooooooooo uber sorry! Sorry for it being late! Sorry for it being short! Sorry for it sucking so bad! Gomennasai! I will make it up to you guys with the next chapter. I swear that Chapter four will be at least 3500 words long!

Shout outs:

TeahLeafs- glomps Thank you so much for your support. I'm so so sorry that this chapter has let you down. I may end up rewriting/reposting it this weekend, so don't feel rushed to review. Like I said, I'll make it up to you and every other reader with Chappy four! I promise!

MorganRay- Thanks to you for the sweet comments. Sorry for the confusion about the battle sequence and the 'death' of the assassin. Hope to hear your comments soon (but maybe later on this chapter ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Time

By Quiet Chaos

Chapter Four

A/N: Go to the bathroom, get a snack, and get ready for a nice long, sit-down 'cause this chapter, as promised, is extra long! Again, same rules and disclaimers apply.

Black-tipped ears flicked and swiveled to the accelerating breathing. Brown eyes opened and curiously peered around the unfamiliar room towards the noise while noting the darkened sky outside. He sighed and stretched his paws and stiff limbs before climbing into the bed where his charge stirred.

White Blaze purred softly in the sleeping boy's ear and gently pressed his nose into the damp flesh, but there was no acknowledgement. Ryo was lost in a dream, and the tiger could only lie beside his cub and hope the warmth of his fur would send some line of wordless comfort into the world of unconsciousness.

xxxxx

He trembled, trying to shake off the layer of cold and numbness that threatened to drag him into death's dark embrace. Distantly he heard the armor rattle to his shivers. The once shimmering and powerful white armor was now dimmed by his free-flowing blood and salty sweat. It stood heavy and cold, propped upright only by his fading will.

He was alone on the corpse-littered battlefield. He had charged headlong into the demon horde and incinerated them all with the fires that had been raging in his mind, and now that his thoughts no longer burned with power, he stood alone and depressingly aware of the carnage surrounding him.

The only thing that remained was the demon emperor. Talpa.

"Have you at last come to your senses, Hariel?" He strode across the parched dirt between them, not even noticing or caring for the empty armors that crumpled beneath his clawed boots. "You were never worthy enough to wield that armor."

The words echoed painfully in his head. It was true. He hadn't been strong enough to control the armor; all that burning power had driven him mad. It had brought him to this point, this humiliating end. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he quickly lowered his head so the demon wouldn't have the pleasure of seeing him break down.

Talpa stopped just within striking distance and bellowed a triumphantly wicked laugh that rang across the field and made Hariel's ears ache. He squeezed the handles of the Ferver swords tighter in a weak effort to steady himself. With every hollow heartbeat he could feel his life slipping away.

The laughter faded, and he vaguely became aware of the demon's taunts. "What a waste." The emperor's spear idly swung just within his field of view, mocking his helplessness. "I will never understand why the Inferno chose you. But I suppose it doesn't matter now that _I've_ defeated you and the Inferno."

The heavy white helmet lifted slowly and revealed an enraged glare that brought the taunting to an abrupt standstill. Hariel's lips curled into a decisive sneer as he watched the demon take an instinctive step back. "No, Talpa," his voice rasped as he forced the words to form in his blood-clotted mouth. "It's far too early to claim the victory that belongs only to me. I brought this on myself, and I will see it through to the end."

"How?" The spearhead was now pressed against his vulnerable neck, severing a thin line in the naked flesh. "You are spent, Hariel. It was I that defeated you with the power of the precious humans you sought to protect. It was their fear, hatred, and their humanity that fed the sleeping armor. And all that energy was sent down the lineage to me. A pathetic, dead mortal like you can do nothing to stop me from claiming that god armor and all of its power!"

Hariel felt like laughing. "I may be a dead mortal, but I have my senses again, and they tell me that no low-class demon will ever wield this power when he cannot even control that of his own!"

"How dare you!"

He was laughing as hard as his ravaged body allowed, wild, insane, rasping laughter that sucked away the last of the energy reserves his rage had given him. But at this point, he didn't care. The Ferver swords slipped from his trembling hands, but instead of falling to the ground, they ignited and merged into a flaming bird. For just a second it hovered between the two warriors before soaring away into the distance.

"You think disposing of the Ferver swords will stop me?" Talpa seethed as he stepped closer, holding the spear's tip on the edge of the fatal point. He glared at Hariel's glazed eyes and crazed smile, and his anger intensified.

"DAMN YOU!" He plunged the spear right through Hariel's chest, shattering the blue heart. "GIVE ME THE ARMOR!"

But Hariel just continued to smile, letting Talpa know that even as he was dying, he could still mock the demon's childlike impatience and anger. "I'll tell you now, Talpa, that even though I may die, my spirit will be within the Inferno's virtue…" For an added touch of ridicule, he spat thick blood into the red mask. "You will never…be able…to touch its power…"

The white helmet began to dissolve into sparks of energy, and was quickly followed by the rest of the armor, leaving the skewered body naked and twitching. Swirling itself into one golden mass, the ephemeral Inferno plummeted into Talpa's chest.

As the light faded, only the demon lord remained. He angrily kicked Hariel off his spear and roared at the convulsing body, "HARIEL! I will unseal and command the power of the Inferno!"

A void of glistening red electricity formed at the tip of his spear. In the next second it exploded. The power sparked and jolted wildly before slamming into Hariel's prone figure, tearing his body apart limb by limb. His last moments of consciousness were overwhelmed by unimaginable pain. He screamed one last time.

xxxxx

Ryo bolted upright in bed, screaming and thrashing wildly at the darkness as cold pain seared along his skin. The sudden movement knocked White Blaze clear off the bed.

Sage was up in an instant and desperately holding the trembling tanned shoulders, searching for the reason behind glazed blue eyes. "Ryo, it's all right!" He had to yell just to be heard over the blood-curdling cries of terror. "Ryo, look at me. Come on."

The thrashing came to a sudden stop as a wave of vertigo and the pain of sore muscles rammed into Ryo's chest, sucking away his breath and energy. Exhausted, he crumpled into Sage's awaiting arms. The blonde gently pressed a pale hand over the sweaty and fevered flesh and frowned. "Ryo?" He brushed away the damp, tangled black locks and saw that Ryo had his eyes shut tight and his brow furrowed. "Ryo, open your eyes and tell me what's wrong."

Sage held his breath as he felt Ryo's whole body shudder in his arms. The darker boy took a few shaky, shallow gasps before slowly opening his eyes. "Seiji?" he whispered hoarsely. His throat rattled and burned from the intense outburst just a few seconds ago.

"I'm right here." The warrior of light couldn't help but smile and breathe a sigh of relief when he heard his Japanese name and saw clarity in those tiger-blue eyes. "Are you all right? You were dreaming."

"That was...a dream?" He weakly pushed himself out of Sage's embrace in favor of the pillow. He wearily gazed at the ceiling, barely registering the stampede of approaching footsteps.

"Ryo! Sage!" Kento charged in the room first, fists raised; anger, worry, and panic written all over his face. "Who's attacking now? Where's the fight at?"

Sage moved to intercept him, gently waving his hands to calm the other boy. "Calm down, Kento. Ryo was just having a nightmare."

"Oh." Kento relaxed as Rowen rounded the corner behind him.

"That must've been some dream." Rowen peered around them. Ryo had a shaky hand pressed lightly on his brow, his eyes staring into the blank ceiling.

"What's going on?" Cye called out from across the hallway.

"Ryo was having a nightmare, Cye. It's nothing to worry about." Rowen answered him as he slowly started back down the hall.

"Oh, is he awake now?"

"Yeah, and by the looks of it, pretty shaken up." He flicked a blue lock of hair as he glanced over his shoulder. Behind him, Sage and Kento were being unceremoniously herded out of the room by White Blaze. The big cat was purposefully nudging their legs with his heavy head until they were out the door.

Both warriors stared incredulously at the big cat as he planted himself firmly in the doorway, blocking entrance to everyone.

"I guess visiting time's over," Kento muttered with a wry grin.

Sage shook his head in disbelief, then thought better of it. He knelt before the Siberian. "All right, White Blaze, we understand. You take care of Ryo until we get back." Grinning as the cat huffed, he joined Rowen and Kento down the hall with Cye.

As soon as he was sure the Ronins were occupied with something else, White Blaze hobbled over to the bed. In one swift movement that seemed impossible for a cat his size, he mounted the bed and perched himself squarely over his cub. He had to be careful. He delicately leaned over, pushing his face directly into Ryo's field of view.

"White Blaze?" The words were slurred as blue eyes now stared confusedly into deep brown. The tiger pressed closer so their noses nearly touched. He had to make sure that their eyes remained locked.

Blue eyes opened wide with sudden realization and fear. "Black Blaze?" A wave of mental comfort flowed from the brown gaze, and Ryo suddenly found himself wrapped in warm darkness. Unable to resist, his eyes slid closed and unconsciousness enveloped him.

xxxxx

After a brief argument with Cye, Sage convinced the auburn boy to take a break and to let him take the next watch. He sat in Cye's seat beside the bed, watching the girl known only as Kurari.

"You know, you almost had me fooled," he softly sighed with a slight smile. It was a moment before Kurari decided to open her eyes and peer at him. When she didn't answer, he continued. "My friend thought you were asleep, and I almost believed that too. But you're not one to sleep through so much commotion, right?"

"No." She rolled onto her side to face him more directly. "I was doing a little meditation."

In the dark he squinted at her. "You know how to meditate?"

"Yes, don't you? Meditation is just elevating your awareness of your environment and of yourself. I wanted to see why my wounds are gone."

"I healed them." He turned away from her prying eyes. "I did it as thanks for this morning."

Scoffing, she sat up. "Why on earth would you want to thank me? I was the one that started everything."

"Yes, I know. But it's the way that you finished it is what I appreciate." Their eyes met again, but this time Sage was determined to hold the gaze until he was done. "You obviously had a clear shot at Ryo when his back was turned, but instead of going for his heart, you went for his shoulder. And then there was the second chance where you knocked off the helmet. You could have decapitated him, but you didn't." He paused for a reaction, but there was none. "I don't believe you're one to miss," he ended softly.

Kurari broke their gaze first and let her hair cover her eyes, refusing to answer him in any other way. Beneath the blankets she clenched her fists. Why hadn't she struck him down when she had those chances?

Sage sighed. He could tell by the tense silence that she was struggling with his questions, and both of them probably weren't going to get answers anytime soon. He opted for a different path. "That was some pretty amazing fighting, though. You were able to take on all five of us without any armor."

"Armor? You mean those colored suits you all wore?" He nodded. For some reason, he felt he could confidently tell this girl their secret. The feeling intensified as she mulled over the information. "I couldn't cut through it with my sword."

"It's mystical armor that has been passed down through the generations. You saw first hand the power within Ryo's armor. All five of us have similar powers as are determined by our armors' elements. You've probably guessed this, but Ryo's armor draws its strength from fire, but the dominant characteristic of his power comes from virtue. My armor is of light and wisdom and gives me the power to heal. Rowen's is air and life; Cye has water and trust; and Kento is earth and justice."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Truthfully, I'm not sure." He paused, noticing her eyes through black strands of hair. "I suppose you can take it as a warning. All five of us share a strong bond in friendship and will defend one another to the end. We won't let you hurt Ryo again."

"Then you shouldn't have let me live," she flatly said before settling back under the blankets and laying with her back to him.

xxxxx

"Breaking news today in Shinjuku: another body has been found in what appears to be the twelfth victim in a bizarre serial homicide case. Earlier today the body of a sixteen-year-old girl was discovered in an alley. Initial reports say that the girl, whose identity has not yet been released, matches the pattern of strange deaths set by the recent eleven other victims. Police investigators have determined that all eleven victims' deaths were caused by heart failure, which resulted from severe psychological trauma. An autopsy will be performed as soon as possible on this newest case. Police have no suspects or witnesses and are asking for the help of the public. If you have any information please contact_-_" Click!

Kento tossed the remote. Earlier they had had another discussion about the morning's events so Cye coul hear Rowen's side of the story. But as soon as the talking was done, there was really nothing left to do. He hadn't felt like playing another video game and so he'd opted for regular T.V. while waiting for Cye to finish up in the kitchen. But at the late hour only the news was on. He slouched on the couch. Boredom was setting in fast, and he couldn't help but fidget in the fresh quiet.

"Turn that back on, Kento, I was listening to it." Cye came out from the kitchen just in time, and with a tray of sandwiches in hand.

"What for? It's just more of the same." He snatched a sandwich as Cye sat beside him. The slighter boy rolled his eyes and handed one to Rowen.

"Don't eat it all," he automatically said as Kento reached for a second helping. He stretched for the fallen remote.

"Oh leave it off, there's really nothing on," Rowen mumbled through a bite of food.

Tossing his hands up in mock defeat, Cye gave in. "All right." He picked up the tray and headed for the stairs, ignoring the puppy-face Kento was giving him. "I'll take these up to the rest of the house's occupants before some inconsiderate-bottomless-pit consumes them all, and then I'm going to bed."

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Kento whined as he left.

Rowen snickered. "No, you're worse. Cye was being nice." Kento replied with a loud raspberry. "G'night, Cye," he called over his shoulder, ignoring the wet sputtering noise. He started reading his book again as Kento wandered away into the kitchen looking for a little more food.

At the top of the stairs, Cye was nearly run over as Sage uncharacteristically stormed out of the guestroom. "Sage, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," he seethed. Cye's expression fell, and Sage quickly apologized. "Sorry," he sighed, and Cye waited patiently for him to calm down. "It's just…I can't figure her out."

"Kurari?"

"Yeah. I'm sure she's still determined to attack Ryo, but this morning she had two clear chances and she didn't kill him. She doesn't even seem to care for her own life either. Why did she fight so hard to survive, and then try to run when the tables turned if she doesn't care?" he though out loud.

"Sage." Cye grinned as the taller boy reregistered his presence. "Don't worry about it so much." He held up a sandwich and the blonde gratefully accepted. "We've just met her, and she's probably confused about us and everything that happened this morning. But, I believe that in time she will eventually come around and tell us what we want to know. She's our peer in age, knowledge, and strength, and according to Rowen's side of the story, she can't be all that bad."

Sage sighed, smiling. "There's a reason you have the armor of Torrent. Thanks, Cye."

"Is she asleep?"

"Yes. I think it'll be all right to leave her alone as long as we stay with Ryo." They both peeked into Sage's room and felt relieved to see Ryo sleeping peacefully. White Blaze, lying on the carpet, perked up when they entered. "Look's like everything's all right."

"Okay, well, I'm going to drop this off with Mia." He held up the last sandwich. "Then I'm going to bed." With a small wave, Cye left.

Resigned, Sage crawled into the unoccupied bed and was soon fast asleep.

xxxxx

The house was as quiet as it had been nearly twenty-four hours ago when she first entered. Kurari slowly sat up, testing her strength and the air of the room. They'd left her alone, and that made her both relieved and tense. Were they testing her?

Her clothes were neatly spread out on the floor, and she carefully changed into them before slumping back onto the bed, exhausted. Her armor and clothes were heavier now that she was weaker, and the strain already brought on a cold sweat. She closed her eyes, struggling to find the best way out in her condition.

Soft footsteps shattered through the silence.

Her eyes snapped open and stared at the open door as a large black tiger crept in. She squinted in the darkness. It was indeed black. For a moment she wondered just how many tigers occupied the house when the big cat nuzzled her hands. She stroked its head in wonder. It was the same size and shape as the one she'd fought with this morning, but the color and temperament were completely different.

The beast rubbed his ribs against her legs and stood still as he gave her a meaningful look. He repeated the action and waited.

She tentatively met the cat's gaze and began to understand. She carefully mounted the tiger's back, gaining a little confidence as he purred his approval. She wrapped her arms securely around his thick neck as he started down the hall.

She was amazed at how careful and quiet the tiger was, despite having her extra weight. They moved as softly and as quickly as a shadow down the hall into Ryo's empty room. In the darkness she could see the untouched shards of the morning's life and death duel: an unmade bed, broken glass, and a depression in the wall. They passed it all and continued through the shattered door.

Outside the night was iced over with a fine layer of frost. Thin clouds veiled the moon so the light only ghosted the tips of the forest. She snuggled a little closer to the warm fur.

The tiger paused and growled softly. Kurari tightened her grip even more on the cat's neck as she realized what was about to happen. The tiger then threw itself over the ledge, carrying Kurari with him.

They soared off the balcony and landed safely and, to her surprise, smoothly on the battle-scarred ground. But the tiger didn't give her the chance to reminisce over it, or to even catch her breath as he sprang off into the dense woods.

A/N: -falls over twitching- Wow. That took a lot more energy than I thought it would. Phew. At least I made it! Oh yeah! Sadly though, this'll probably the longest any chapter will be. Oh well.

News: the next scheduled update, November 26th, will unfortunately not be happening that day because of my evil college workload. That update will be made on the 20th, and will be a shorter chapter in comparison to this one. Also, the scheduled update for December 11th will also be changed to sometime in the middle of the month, and there will be no update on the 26th. Again, blame college finals for the changes. Hopefully everything will go back to normal in 2006, though I may change the dates to something a little easier to remember, like the fist and the twentieth or something.

Enough babble, on to the shout outs!

Inda- Ooooh, a new reader! Thanks for checking out my story and for the support. New readers are always welcomed and supremely appreciated!

MorganRay- Yay! Your compliments are very much loved, and your continued support and reviews are wonderful to read! Thank you!

TheMadHathor- Huzzah! Another new reader! I am most happy! I can see why you advise against deadlines, but I am one of those lazy students that will never get anything done unless I set goals and deadlines for myself. Plus, it helps to see that people want to read what comes next, and that adds to my motivation to meet the mark! I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I hope you'll continue to follow along!

TeahLeafs- What can I say that I haven't already said? You're enthusiasm and support are definitely spurring me on to keep writing! Triple glomp attack! Whooo!

As a thank you and Christmas gift to all my reviews, I will post a link to one piece of Ronin Warrior fanart that I'll create just for you to download and enjoy. Look for the link in the December update:D


	5. Chapter 5

Time

By Quiet Chaos

Chapter Five

A/N: Chapter five. A small warning: this chapter is somewhat more violent than the others. If you think I should upgrade the rating on this story, please say so in the reviews and I will do so. That's all for now. Enjoy!

The crystalline orb rolled lackadaisically between his clawed fingers. He hated this waiting game and everything this little, seemingly ordinary ball was putting him through, but this was all necessary.

Overhead a handful of pesky clouds had veiled the moon, blocking the vital component to his search. Below him the city had fallen into a lull, and fewer prey were lurking in the cold darkness. He hissed, but no puff of breath passed into the air.

The clouds finally rolled by, and the unobstructed pale moonlight flooded the area. He raised the orb so it could bask in it.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, but then the crystal began to softly glow as it absorbed the light. It pulsed, slowly at first, then quickening like a racing heartbeat until the glow was steady and solid.

He lowered his hand and held the ball before him. "Show me."

The glow became a focused beam of light that shot into the heart of the city lights. It held steady on its target.

He growled at it. "This had better be the one. My patience is running thin." The orb just continued to point, oblivious to his threatening tone. He jumped across the rooftops, following the light.

xxxxx

Kurari slowly opened her eyes, feeling the aches of the awkward journey. Her limbs were stiff and numb from the cold, and her skin felt papery and rigid. Regardless of the pain, she slid off of the tiger's back and sat on the icy ground.

The black cat had brought her to the park in the center of the city and had nuzzled her awake upon arrival. He pressed against her as she began to shiver, and she leaned into his warm fur.

No one was around at this time of night, but she still wondered how they had made it so far into the city without being seen by the late-shift workers. She eyed the tiger, but he sat still, looking out over the park, as if he were waiting for something.

She followed his gaze, but saw nothing. Sighing, she started to stand, but as soon as she did, the tiger pressed his weight on top of her, keeping her on the ground.

"Why did you bring me here?" she hissed through short, shivering breaths as she finally caught the tiger's gaze. Deep brown eyes bored in to hers. A sensation of comfort and understanding flowed from those brown eyes, and so she reluctantly relaxed a little.

"Kurari."

Startled out of the trance, she turned towards the voice. An older man dressed extremely well stood behind her, his arms folded behind his back. A wispy white beard cascaded down the front of his suit, and trails of matching white hair patched his head. She quickly bowed. "Master Kurata. What brings you here?"

He smiled, but there was no kindness beneath the folds of skin. "That's really not for you to ask. But if you must know, I had a feeling you'd be here. What happened? You were supposed to have reported in yesterday. You had me worried."

"I'm sorry, Master. I failed." She raised her head slightly to watch his reaction from beneath her bangs.

"Oh yes. I already know that, as does the customer." He continued to smile, but she could see his disappointment and something else lurking beneath his eyes.

"If the customer wills it, I will try again, free of charge," she said quickly.

"Oh no, you needn't worry about that." He stopped smiling and gazed down at her. "He only wanted to see if you could eliminate a potential problem. He expected that you would fail, seeing as you're just a pathetic mortal like the rest of the lot in this realm. Although, there was some hope that you'd succeed since you were described as the best in the business."

"What?" She sat up and stared fully into her master's face. Something wasn't right. Beside her the black tiger had turned to face Kurata and stood with muscles tensed.

"He was hoping to maintain some stealth within this world until he found the final piece for his war, but there's no point now. He'll destroy everything."

"Master, what are you saying?" Confused, she watched as he began to laugh hysterically, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. The tiger's growls were audible now, and the cat was poised for attack.

Kurata suddenly lunged at Kurari. "This is the end of the Mortal Realm!" he laughed, a crazed smile distorting his face.

Roaring, the tiger leapt in between them and brought a hard swipe down across Kurata's neck, snapping the bone. The body hit the ground with a thud, and lay at Kurari's feet. She stared at it, completely stunned as putrid smelling green-gray smoke seeped out of the mouth and dissipated in the open air.

"What? What the hell?" She backed away from the body and the tiger. She couldn't think clearly. Magical armors, black and white tigers, healing powers, fiery arrows, green smoke, and her dead master flooded her thoughts. Her chest felt too tight, and a migraine was stomping on her temples. Her simple world of life or death had fallen apart in the span of two days.

Nothing made sense anymore. Gripping her head in a feeble attempt to quell the chaos, she silently screamed at everyone and no one. Even though her world seemed to have shattered, she refused to cry.

The tiger rubbed against her as she wrapped her arms around her knees, wishing the last two days never happened. A cold nose pressed against her cheek. Numbly she looked into the tiger's eyes again. "I don't suppose you can explain things."

Again a sense of relaxation and understanding flowed from the brown eyes, but this time a wave of images followed. At first she resisted the scenes, but then she realized that there was some kind of sense to them as the days' events and information filled in the pieces.

A blood-curdling scream suddenly pierced through the night air, breaking the silence. Kurari turned away from the tiger, giving Kurata's body one last glance. Then tiger and girl looked out to the city and waited.

xxxxx

The woman's corpse crumpled to the ground as the light dissolved. He loomed over the body, clenching the orb within his gauntlet. Thirteen. Thirteen people this orb had him seek out, only to kill them in the end. His frustration was getting the better of him as he further tightened his grip on the sphere, nearly crushing it. Was there no one in this world worthy enough for this thing?

People were converging all around the alley, searching for the scream. Using a fraction of his power, he floated to the nearby rooftop and held the offending orb to light.

"I tire of this. If you will not make a decision, then I have no use for you." He expected the orb to continue its oblivious attitude as it had done for all his twelve threats before, but this time, it flared in the moonlight and, using its energy, floated in his palm. "What's this?"

It spun in the air as if it were looking around. Suddenly it bolted away, leaving him standing stunned on the rooftop. He was inclined to let it disappear, but knew better. Already the orb's aura had disappeared from his senses, and anger began to boil within him.

"YOU DARE MOCK ME?" he roared in the direction that the orb had flown in. Green storm clouds supernaturally gathered around him as he let his power seep out into the world. There was no point in stealth now.

Below him the people were pointing and staring at his cloaked and shadowed figure. He glared at them. It was their fault! Insects! None were worthy, so it didn't matter anymore that he would start his path of destruction now.

On his silent command red lightning leapt through the sky, striking the nearby rooftops and slashing at the people on the ground, incinerating several in a flash of crimson. Everywhere screams were filling the air, and with each new cry of terror he unleashed another blast of lethal electricity. They would all pay for his frustration and anger.

The orb. He seethed, calming himself long enough to formulate a new plan. No doubt the guardians of this realm would be arriving soon, and he needed to find that vile crystal again.

Raising his clawed gauntlet, he called forth a gate. It erupted in the heart of the city, toppling buildings and heaving streets. Now he could begin his search again without the Ronin Warriors interfering too much.

The gates swung wide open and a seemingly endless army of silver Dynasty soldiers marched out. "Destroy everything!" he ordered before storming away in the direction of the crystal.

xxxxx

Four heads snapped up as the wave of Nether World energy rolled over the house. Sage instinctively grabbed his orb and switched into his subarmor. He turned to call on Ryo, but found the other boy still soundly asleep. Cye, Rowen, and Kento appeared at his door, already wearing their subarmors.

"Something's up!" Kento clapped his fists together excitedly.

"Why isn't Ryo awake?" Rowen stepped into the room.

"I don't know, and right now that doesn't really matter. I don't want him fighting in his state anyway." Sage moved them out of the room so as not to wake the black-haired boy.

"So what do you propose? We can't leave him here alone." Cye looked down. "You remember what happened when we did that before."

There was a tense silence as each warrior remembered when Saranbo had jumped on their unprotected friend and nearly killed them all. Sage broke the silence first.

"That's not going to happen this time. Kento, I want you to stay here and keep an eye on Ryo and the girl."

"No way, man!" he protested, raising his fists. "I'm the strongest of the four of us. If there's a new enemy, then you're going to need my strength!"

"It's precisely because you're the strongest that I'm asking you to stay behind." Sage glared at the warrior of justice.

Cye placed a reassuring hand on Kento's shoulder. "Calm down, Kento."

"If this new power gets through the three of us, then it will be just you defending the fort." Rowen also held Kento's shoulder. "We'll be relying on that hard head of yours to hold out alone."

Sighing in understanding, Kento lowered his fists. "All right. But you guys had better take care of yourselves."

"We'll be back!" Cye called over his shoulder as the three warriors ran out of the house. Kento dejectedly settled himself on Sage's empty bed. If it came to just him defending Ryo, he would not let his friends down.

A/N: Oooh, big cliffhanger because of three story lines, and I'll be leaving you there until mid December! Oh, I hope I don't lose any of you because in the next update, as said before, there will be a link to a piece of RW fanart! And an early warning for that link: it will only be up for one week maximum because I want only my reviewers to enjoy it. Yay for fanart! Boo for cliffhangers, right?

Anyway, shout outs again!

MorganRay: Yeah, talking-head chapters aren't fun, but they're necessary in passing along information, especially because I'm trying to fill in a good chunk of Ronin Warrior history and whatnot. Oh yeah, and Kayura and the ex-Warlords do make an appearance! They'll be in the next chapter, so look for that!

TeahLeafs: Ooops, no Ryo-Sage time in this chapter. So sorry, but it's more exciting, right? And fanart in the next update! Fanart! Wooo! Again and again and again, hearts and glomps to you for support!

Naikia: Yay! New reader! I hope this story keeps you hooked, as I'm trying my best to write it well!

Artimis: Oh I am definitely having fun with this, and a big part of that comes from the reviews. Thank you for enjoying this story, and I will endeavor to continue!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Please don't overdose on tryptophan and forget me or the three storylines!


	6. Chapter 6

Time

By Quiet Chaos

Chapter Six

A/N: Been a while, hasn't it? Thought I'd forgotten all of you, didn't you? Heh heh. Well, my only request for this chapter is that you read through it before moving on to my fanart link. Hope you all had some happy holidays!

The devastation loomed all around them as they charged headlong into the heart of the city, calling on their armors as the horde of silver soldiers converged on them. In seconds they were surrounded.

Overhead the gray-green sky rumbled restlessly as the sounds of metal screeching across metal, sword crossing sword, and the hollow thuds of empty armor suits crashing to the ground echoed throughout the city. But for every soldier slain, five more rushed out of the gate to replace it.

"We need a plan!" Sage yelled as he sliced a demon cleanly in half. They were fighting only to survive, and it was only killing them as the soldiers ceaselessly pushed on in greater numbers. "We're not getting anywhere this way!"

"Destroy the gate!" Rowen called from over head as he fired off several arrows at dynasty archers barraging them from toppled roofs. "That's our best shot!"

The monstrous gate was rooted deeper in the heart of the city. They struggled to push their way into striking range, hoping that their efforts would turn the tide. Thinking strategically, Strata flew higher into the air and showered golden arrows into the masses of silver in an attempt to clear a path towards the red gateway.

Sage and Cye bolted through the thin clearing, sending mental thanks to the archer. From the sky, the dark blue Ronin surveyed the revolting destruction surrounding the gate before he was brought back down by an unavoidable onslaught of dynasty arrows. The three warriors once again stood back to back in the silver sea.

"What do we do now?" Cye panted as the soldiers circled them, taunting the range of his yari. Already his armor bore numerous scratches and dents from where Dynasty weapons snuck through his defenses. "For every one we cut down, more come in to replace it."

"Damn it," Sage hissed, stabbing a soldier that'd ventured too close. He risked a glance at the gate. It was so close, but still too far. "Rowen, Cye, let's combine our attacks!" Torrent and Strata peeked out from under their helmets at their companion questionably, shifting nervously as the circle of soldiers moved in.

"What about the people?" When the blonde didn't answer, Cye turned on him, glaring angrily at the green warrior's back. "If we unleash our attacks here, we could wipe out half the city!"

"Cye, we have no choice." Gold arrows whizzed by the slighter boy's head into a group of soldiers that'd tried for the boy's exposed back. "Half the city's gone already, and if we don't do anything now, we'll be killed and the whole world will end up this way!" Rowen sternly rebuked.

Cye dropped his shoulders in defeat. There was no other alternative.

Sage brought down his no-dachi in a wide arch, slicing several soldiers in half and knocking the armor suits into the nearest demons. He emotionlessly faced Cye's imploring gaze. "Focus, Cye. If we do this right, the damage to the city will be minimized while the gateway and the soldiers are destroyed." He gave the smaller boy an encouraging smile and quick nod before moving into his attack stance. Cye and Rowen turned toward the gate and focused their energies together.

Their armors began to glow and hum harmoniously as their energies increased and merged. The demons unfortunate to be closest to the warriors were instantly incinerated by the gathering power.

They took aim.

The inner gateway suddenly lit up in a flood of golden energy. It quickly spilled out into the city; dynasty soldiers exploded at its touch, spewing their smoky innards into the light-swamped air. The Ronins stood dumbfounded as the familiar power engulfed them, easing their sores.

As the light faded, they saw that the demons in the path of the light were dead, and only a few remained nervously glaring at the five figures emerging from the gate.

xxxxx

The orb zigzagged across the cityscape, searching for the power calling to it. He followed from a distance, watching closely as it meandered across the darkened sky. But without the power of the moonlight supporting it, the crystal began to fall, and he had no choice but to jump in to catch it.

He stood at the edge of the city now, just as he had been at the beginning of the night. He clutched the orb tightly in his silver gauntlet, listening to the echoes of the battle emanating from beyond the crippled skyscrapers. The Ronins had arrived and began fighting sometime during his hunt for the wretched orb. If he had lips, they would've been curled into a satisfied sneer.

But that imagined pleasurable smile quickly turned sour as a golden blast of light exploded in the distance by the gate. He snarled. So, they've come. He'd have to hurry now.

Silently he summoned a handful of the surviving soldiers to him and commanded the others to distract the warriors. With that in order, he returned his attention to the crystal and his cover of clouds. He needed the orb powered. He loosened his grip on the sky, allowing only a peephole of moonlight to shine directly onto the sphere.

It glimmered in his palm, showing its distress at his proximity again, but he held it firmly this time, ignoring its meek flickering protests.

"The sooner you take me to the one you're destined to be with, the sooner this will be over. Now lead me to that one you were so eager to find a moment ago." He pinched the orb between two fingers and held it before him. It surrendered to his command and pointed him to the park where three creatures lay.

xxxxx

Kento paced the dark room again. Since his friends had left for the battle he'd done nothing except count the steps between the closed door and the window. He paused by the window, huffing in frustration. He didn't like being left out of the fight, but he knew that Sage had a point.

He watched Ryo's calm rhythmic breathing and sighed heavily as he felt the fringes of sleep deprivation begin to drag him under. A soft knock at the door startled him out of the trance. "Who's there?"

"It's me," Mia said as he opened the door. She squinted at Kento through the darkness. "Kento, what's going on? Why are you in Sage and Rowen's room?"

"Just a while ago we got a rude awakening by a blast of Dynasty power," he whispered as he closed the door behind her, suspiciously eyeing the hall behind her. "Cye, Rowen, and Sage went off to investigate, and I got guard duty." He gestured towards the sleeping Ryo, but Mia didn't see it in the darkness.

"All right. I'm going to check on the girl. She probably heard the commotion and might be confused." She paused at the door and looked around. "Where's White Blaze?"

Kento spun around and scoured the moonlit room. "White Blaze? I don't remember him being here." Seeing no sign of the big cat, he scratched the back of his head in frustration. "Aw, well, he probably went out for a stretch or to get some grub."

"You're probably right," Mia smiled. "I'll be right back." She slid out into the hallway.

Kento leaned against the door and sighed. A rush of footsteps outside brought him back to reality. He quickly opened the door to see Mia standing in the hall with all the lights on. "What's going on?"

"Kento, she's gone!" Mia exclaimed. "That girl and all her belongings are gone!"

xxxxx

Kurari absently stroked the black tiger's fur. The beast gazed at the girl. Her eyes had closed sometime ago and had fallen into a light, cold sleep. He nuzzled her gently, breathing in her soft scent. He sighed sadly. Already the darkness was growing and _he_ had arrived. The tiger growled deeply in his throat at the new arrival, waking the girl at his side.

Kurari groggily glanced around her, shivering away the icicles of sleep. She cautiously watched the newcomer.

He stood a fair distance from her, but she could still make out the details of his form; his immense figure was loosely wrapped in a ragged cloak that, when the wind billowed around him, revealed his full form. He wore silver armor too small for his looming height; at every joint an ethereal, undulating fog rippled between the stretched plates of armor. A clawed gauntlet pulled back the hood, revealing a gold-spiked helmet with a matching golden mask. Gleaming empty white eyes peered out behind the shadows of the faceplate.

He gazed emotionlessly between the black tiger, Kurari, and Kurata's corpse before striding closer to the living pair.

The tiger stood, snarling quietly and baring his teeth. Kurari pushed herself up, ignoring the protests of her frozen joints. Instinctively she pulled out her broken sword and stepped into a defensive stance. He stopped several yards away and raised his fist.

"Who are you?" she hissed through clenched teeth. He didn't answer. She shifted in the growing silence as she sized up the potential opponent. Half the blade on her sword had broken off in the last battle, and she still hadn't fully recovered from the blood loss. She grit her teeth as she measured the cold night's drain on her energy supply.

Ignoring her, he slowly opened his fist, revealing a clear orb that gently pulsated in his palm. A thin beam of light emanated from its center and pointed directly at her. When nothing else happened, he raised the crystal higher so that it covered one of his empty eyes; the light intensified and blinded her.

She couldn't see the symbol of light that formed on her brow, but could feel a wave of soothing energy emanate from it. The cold aches that had frozen her muscles quickly faded and were replaced with refreshed and enhanced stores of energy. Her nervousness dissipated at the light's touch, leaving her calm and focused.

"At last." His voice was deep, beastly, and rumbling with power that brought her back to the present. He glared at the orb and clenched it in his fist, locking away the light. "All this time, it's been her," he paused, noting the tiger's pose. "I should've known." He moved closer; his elongated legs easily covered half the remaining distance between them in two strides. "It doesn't matter now."

"What's going on?" Kurari widened her stance, bracing herself for any attack while considering the options of escape. She glanced at the tiger and only received a huff of acknowledgment.

"Greetings…" he purred to the tiger and stopped just out of striking distance. He then gave the slightest of nods to the beast. To her surprise, the tiger stopped growling long enough to return the salutation with a shallow bow. The peace passed quickly. The gold mask tilted and the white eyes squinted in a sarcastic move as he raised his empty fist. "…And goodbye."

In the next moment everything burned in crimson light.

A/N: Well, there's chapter six for you! I am now one chapter ahead of where I was with the older version. Haha! I will get this story done, eventually! Ahahahahaha! Ahem. The traditional shout outs first, then fan art link:

TeahLeafs: You've got the plot points pinned down perfectly! Though, I will do a tiny spoiler and plainly say that there is no Talpa…Well…Wait a minute…There is, but it really isn't…I'm not helping, am I? He did pop up in the dream sequence. Oh well. Alas, I have no deviant art site and have no plans on ever getting one from them. Hopefully I'll have my own, "professional" one up a ready to go before I graduate.

Naikia: I have you hooked and holding onto the cliffs! Don't worry, I'll send some rope down in the next few chapters!

MorganRay: War of the Worlds…Huh, I didn't think about that parallel before. Oh well. I blame the collective unconsciousness for that, but hey, what can you do? Thanks for the review.

Aw, only three reviews for chapter five? I hope I didn't scare people off with the clichéd notion of new warriors and super new armors. SMALL SPOILER WARNING: I am only creating three new armors and they will wrap up the armors' history and world nice and neatly (I hope). So come on back and send in reviews! I'd love to hear from you!

All right, reviewers, here's the goodie you've been waiting for: click on my name, Quiet Chaos, to reach my fan-fiction account info, and then click on the homepage link.

That's the bit of fan art that I scribbled down with regular pencil and pen but colored in Photoshop. Download it, save it, enjoy it, but don't link to it because it's a cruddy little quick site that will have the artwork removed on:

January 8th, 2006

While I don't own the rights to the characters, I do have copyright over the image design. So here's my humble artwork usage request:

Use it for personal enjoyment.

If you want to post it to your fan-site or deviant art site, or any site, please give me (Quiet Chaos) credit for its creation and link it to my fan fiction story.

Other notes to mention: I'm sadly not accepting commissions for artwork because I'm swamped with college work. However! I have decided that for every fifteen reviews I receive for my story, I will post a piece of fan art or fic art following the same rules and styles of the fan art posted with this story. In other news, updates will occur on the 1st and 17th of each month.

So that's it. I do apologize for the shortness of the chapter and its lateness, but holiday cheer lulled me into laziness. On schedule for January!


	7. Chapter 7

Time

By Quiet Chaos

Chapter Seven

A/N: Hey there. Well, the fan art has long since been taken down, as was scheduled in the last chapter. If you missed it and really, really, really want to see it, keep on reviewing! As of this update, only thirteen more reviews to go before the next fan art installment is posted, and if people want the old fan art, that will be reposted. Well, on to the story. Oh wait, before I forget, a reminder that I'm going by the Ronin Warriors universe names and am using the all-knowing wikipedia as a resource for weapon names and armor attributes. On to the story!

The remaining soldiers retreated from the gateway as the newcomers came onto the field. The Ronins took the opportunity to greet their five emerging allies.

"Couldn't have timed it better myself," Rowen said, giving Kayura and the former warlords a welcoming smile. Kayura wore the blue and white monk clothes of the Ancient and carried the glimmering gold shakujo that was just beginning to power down. She stood in the throng of her four fully armor comrades.

Sage gave Anubis a quick nod. "Welcome back."

"It's good to be back." The former warlord of Cruelty bore his full armor, including his helmet but minus the red mask. The other ex-warlords wore their armors similarly.

"I thought you were dead," Cye interrupted as he looked them over.

Anubis laughed. "I was dead. The Ancient saw to my return." He nodded towards Kayura who quickly turned away.

"Mind telling us what's going on?" Sage gestured at the ruined city. "What happened in the Netherworld?"

"It's my fault." Kayura sheepishly turned to the blonde, but she avoided his intense gaze. "After the destruction of Talpa, we returned to the Nether Realm and began rebuilding. I'd hoped to resurrect Anubis and start over. With the Ancient's guidance I learned the spell to call him back, but I didn't realize that the spell would recall other nearby spirits." She paused to see what the Ronins' reactions were.

Anubis tried to comfort her. "It is not your fault; you didn't know."

"It is my fault!" Kayura snapped, pulling away from him and ignoring the others' worried looks. "If I hadn't been so selfish, none of this would be happening." Her shoulders drooped shamefully. "I've put everything we fought so hard for in jeopardy."

"That doesn't matter," Sage authoritatively said as he stepped into the argument. "Blaming yourself doesn't solve the current problem. What matters now is that the something you resurrected along with Anubis is now wreaking havoc in this world, and we have to work together to stop it."

"Well said, Halo," Cale snickered. "Except that the thing she brought back is older and more powerful than Talpa ever was."

"Elaborate for us," Rowen sternly rebuked. "What exactly is it we're up against?"

Before they could answer a blast of energy erupted in the distance, the force of the explosion, though far away, was enough to knock them all down.

"What was that?" Sekhmet grunted as he regained his footing.

"It came from outside the city," Dais said as he helped Kayura to stand.

"Where are all the soldiers?" Cye held his yari ready as he looked around, glancing behind in case of a sneak-attack. "The gate's disappeared!" Everyone turned to see that the portal between the worlds had indeed vanished sometime during their conversations, leaving only the warriors behind in the smoldering city.

"Never mind that." Halo turned to Strata. "Rowen, take Kayura and head towards that explosion. We'll follow on foot."

Just as they started to carry out Sage's commands, a distinct primal battle roar trumpeted through the streets. Recognizing the voice, they hurried with greater speed.

xxxxx

Kento nearly jumped out of his skin as the night's second wave of Dynasty energy rolled over the area, causing the whole house to shudder. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, wishing he knew how his friends were fairing.

A moment later Hardrock got another scare as Ryo jerked awake.

"WHITE BLAZE!"

Kento leapt across the room and grabbed hold of the slighter boy, concern written all over his face. "Ryo!"

"Kento, where's White Blaze? What's going on?" he demanded as he threw off the heavier boy and bed sheets and turned on the lights.

"Uh," he hesitated. Sage had told him that Ryo shouldn't be fighting in his condition, and knowing the wielder of Wildfire, anything he said would provoke that unwanted situation.

Ryo saw the worry in Kento's eyes and pulled the bulkier boy up. "Kento. I'm fine. Tell me what's going on."

"Well, White Blaze wasn't here when I came in to watch you, and just a little while ago Mia found out that that assassin girl has disappeared, but before that Sage, Cye, and Rowen wenttocheckonablastofDynastypowerthatwokeusup." He smiled meekly as he watched Ryo struggle to decipher the last sentence.

He figured it out quickly. "Kento, we have to go. Now!"

"But Sage said you shouldn't fight in your condition!" He trailed after Ryo, who had transformed into his under-gear and was sprinting down the stairs. Kento had to change in order to keep up with him as they bolted out of the house. "Ryo, wait!"

xxxxx

Kurari hit the ground and rolled. Her ears were buzzing from the shock of the explosion, but nothing else felt hurt. She quickly regained her footing and turned to see that in place of the black tiger was a blazing bonfire. The silver armor stood laughing behind the flames.

Without thinking Kurari charged the armor with her broken blade. Caught off guard, the demon merely stopped laughing and held his ground. He had good reason not to worry for as soon as Kurari rammed the sword into his chest plate, the blade shattered like glass, making no impression on the silver metal. Reflexively she spun and reversed her footing in an effort to rebound away from a counter attack. But he was fast and lithe, easily reaching out and wrapping his claws firmly around her slender waist.

"Shit!" she cursed as she struggled to pull free of his death grip.

"Impressive," he hissed, pulling her face-to-face with his mask. "Who would've thought that the hired hand would turn out so…exquisite?"

She glanced over her shoulder as the meaning of his words took hold. "You're the customer?"

"Yes." The grin was obvious in his tone. "My spirits possessed Kurata to get closer to you, supposedly the best the Mortal Realm had to offer." Mockingly, he flipped her upside down, but kept their eyes level. "When we first met, you had the potential to serve me, but I wanted to be absolutely sure that there was no mistake in my choice or your skills." He whipped her upright and leaned in even closer. "You have not disappointed me."

Suddenly a deafening roar erupted behind her, and they turned to see an explosion of fire blazing wildly. The flames spiraled and dispersed, revealing the black tiger, unscathed, and now dressed in gleaming gold-trimmed white plates of armor. On his back were two matching sheathed swords. With a second howl of rage, the beast reared at the silver armor, biting and swiping at the exposed ethereal joints. His jaws caught hold of the cloak and tore it off. The demon retreated from the cat, dropping Kurari. "Vile beast!"

The black tiger quickly repositioned himself between her and the silver armor, growling and snarling his anger. She stood unsteadily, using the tiger for support as several new silver armored figures surrounded them.

"Take the girl and kill the tiger!" the gold mask bellowed.

Instinctively Kurari threw the last chunk of her sword at the nearest charging soldier, clocking him square in the faceplate and stalling him. She and the tiger moved in unison, meeting the soldiers head on.

The first soldier went down quickly as she dodged his sword and then reversed his momentum with a throw that sent him face first into the dirt. Behind her the tiger was doing well to hold his ground, slashing at the vulnerable joints and slipping through blades.

Three soldiers converged on her with their deadly weapons aimed. As she dodged the first soldier's spear thrust, she spun and slammed a kick into the second soldier's stomach. But the third soldier struck before she could regain her full footing. His sword dug deeply into her left shoulder, pushing her back. She stumbled away from him, gasping and squeezing the bleeding wound.

A blast of red lightning slammed into the soldier from behind, incinerating him and knocking her to the cold ground. The silver soldiers froze and turned to their leader, whose fist was clenched in rage and his foggy essence blazed crimson. "Idiots! I want her unharmed!"

Seeing her chance, she quickly kicked off the ground and snatched the disintegrated soldier's fallen sword. It was heavier than she'd anticipated, and she struggled to lift it with just her right hand. Using her momentum, she swung the blade. The two soldiers, caught off guard, found their legs severed. Kurari beheaded the nearest soldier and winced as green-gray smoke fizzled out of the hollow armor.

From the ground the second fallen soldier threw his kusari-gama, ensnaring her ankles. He yanked on the chain, pulling her legs out from under her. Rolling off the dirt, she raised the sword high enough to let gravity finish the soldier with a stab through his eye.

The first soldier that'd been hit with her broken sword grabbed her from behind and pulled her into an arm lock before she could untangle the chain. As soon as he heard her struggling, the black tiger sprinted out of the crowd of soldiers he'd been brawling with and charged, viciously roaring. But he was cut off as the leader blindsided the beast with hard backhand to the head. The demon then stomped on his exposed stomach, driving out breath and fight from the big cat.

Out of nowhere a golden arrow shot through the capturer's helmet, killing the demon and freeing Kurari. The leader jerked round just in time to block a swift kick from Kayura. He pushed her off, and she landed gracefully, holding her shakujo threateningly. A moment later Rowen landed just a few feet from where Kurari was pulling off the chains.

"Fah!" he spat, his ethereal essence taking on its calmer gray color. "Do not interfere, heir of the Ancients. I have claim to that girl."

"Not so, demon. She's under our protection, and you have no right to take her against her will." Kayura edged the staff closer, jangling the rings for emphasis.

"Watch your tongue, mortal!" He angrily flashed crimson. "I am no mere demon! I was the first born in the Nether Realm and am its true master, Jidai."

"Jidai? 'Age'?" Kayura flinched as she murmured the name's meaning.

Seeing her distraction, he rushed in and punched her, knocking her several yards away before skidding to a rest on the ground.

"Kayura!" Rowen angrily fired off a succession of energized arrows, forcing Jidai away from where Kayura lay unconscious. "Get away from her!"

Seeing through the distraction, the demon charged Strata with terrifying speed that enabled him to easily zigzag through the onslaught of arrows. The fog of his right hand shifted to a deep red. Not seeing the demon powering up, Rowen kept firing, stubbornly holding his ground.

"Look out!"

Kurari rammed the blue haired boy just as Jidai released his attack, knocking him out of harms way. The demon shifted at the last second, redirecting the crimson bolt into the air, missing her by inches and knocking her to the ground. Growling, Jidai rushed towards Kurari as she staggered to stand.

A flash of red and white collided with the silver demon, knocking him off balance. He whirled around in time to receive a vicious kick to the golden faceplate by an orange boot. Enraged, he thrashed his bludgeon-like arms, narrowly missing the fully armored Ronins, who quickly pulled back out of reach.

"Ryo?" Rowen yelled as he pulled Kurari up and stared incredulously at his friend. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting." He glanced at Kento, looking for an explanation, but Hardrock merely shrugged.

"I can't rest while my friends are in danger," Ryo yelled back over his shoulder, sternly eying Kurari. He quickly turned away as their eyes met. "Thanks for protecting Rowen," he mumbled over his shoulder guard.

Jidai growled, returning their attention to him. The demon was glaring off in the distance at the approaching Ronins and warlords. Behind him Kayura and Black Blaze had regained consciousness and were poised for attack. He was outnumbered twelve to one.

He laughed.

"Ryo, Kento, what are you guys doing here?" Cye exclaimed from across the park. He and Sage circled the demon while the warlords shielded Kayura. "What's she doing here?" the warrior of trust unintentionally yelled as he suddenly noticed Kurari leaning against Rowen for support.

He didn't get any answers as Jidai bellowed his laughter. "So you have all come!" He mockingly bowed to Kayura. "In return for awakening me, I spare you and your comrades of my wrath." He stood to his full height, and menacingly towered over them. "But I will not be denied that which is mine." He turned to Kurari, whose eyes were closed in pain as she tightly gripped her bleeding shoulder.

Before anyone could react, Jidai drew out the clear orb and held it before Kurari. His ethereal form rapidly shifted through the color spectrum and sparks of matching energy rippled over the crystal, causing it to glow.

Gasping, Kurari dropped to her knees and groaned as a new burning pain rolled over her. Confused, Rowen held on to her. "What's wrong?"

"Stop it!" Ryo yelled; springing at Jidai, he angrily slashed at the demon. Sage, Cye, Kento, and Black Blaze rushed in to attack, but it was just as the demon hoped. He spun, lashing out a whip of crimson energy that easily knocked them to the ground in one hit. He then released the power as a bolt of lightning that exploded in front of the warlords, blowing them out of the fight.

In the passing dust he loomed over Rowen and Kurari. The stunned archer was thrown several feet from a swift backhand to his blue chest.

Groaning, the warriors recovered just in time to see Jidai triumphantly laughing and dangling Kurari by her right arm. She reached out to them with her free blood-covered hand. "Ryo…" she whispered heavily.

And they were gone.

A/N: Ahh…aren't cliffhangers fun? Thankfully the chapters are getting easier to write because I'm finally at the point where the story collides with my concepts of the armor world. Stay tuned for more action and new surprises coming at you February first!

Oh, and remember: just thirteen reviews to go until the next Ronin Warriors fan art/fic art posting!

TeahLeafs: Glad you liked the fan art. It was just something I whipped up for fun right after the holidays. Originally I had White Blaze wearing reindeer antlers, but at the last second I scrapped the idea. That's why he looks rather…exasperated. Oh, and thanks for the PM. I'll try to keep more in touch with that feature about your progressing art skills. And of course, thanks for the kind words and continued support. You get a smily:D

MorganRay: Already said this in a PM, but I'll repeat anyway: glad you found the artwork. In my original document I had the link written up, but when I posted the chapter, the text got all messed up. I had to replace the chapter four times before deciding on the current method of just posting the link in my author info page. Oh well. Again and again, thank you so much for your encouragement and feedback. I'm also happy that the revisions have worked out. As I said, the story is finally to the point where I can just write and not worry too much about setting up the scene or describing characters. The only trouble I know I'm going to have is trying to write the warlords' dialogue. They were so evil in the series that writing them as good while maintaining their individual personalities as reformed warriors will be very challenging. Oh well. Hope you like however I handle it! Smily to you too:D


End file.
